What is it?

Optic neuritis is an inflammation of the optic nerve.

The optic nerve is responsible for transmitting light signals from the retina to the brain.

Causes

The exact cause is unknown. However, various pathologies have been associated with an increased risk of suffering from optic neuritis:

·         Autoimmune diseases, including lupus, sarcoidosis, and Behçet’s disease.

·         Fungal (fungal) infections, such as cryptococcosis.

·         Bacterial infections, such as tuberculosis, syphilis, Lyme disease, and meningitis.

·         Viral infections, such as viral encephalitis, measles, rubella, chickenpox, herpes zoster, mumps, and mononucleosis.

·         Respiratory infections, including mycoplasma pneumonia and other common upper respiratory infections.

·         Multiple sclerosis.

Symptoms

Optic neuritis can be unilateral (affects only one eye) or bilateral (affects both eyes). In addition, its onset can be acute (symptoms appear abruptly) or progressive (symptoms appear gradually).

Symptoms of optic neuritis include:

·         Blurred vision.

·         Altered contrast sensitivity (dim vision, as if someone had dimmed the lighting).

·         Alteration in the perception of colors (colors that appear opaque and faded).

·         Retro ocular pain (pain in the back of the eye).

·         Pain when moving the eyes.

If optic neuritis is not treated, symptoms may get worse.

Diagnosis

A complete ophthalmological examination, with special attention to visual acuity and the fundus, will give a first approach to the diagnosis.

In addition to a complete ophthalmological examination, it is necessary to:

·         Study of pupillary reflexes.

·         Contrast sensitivity test.

·         Color vision test.

·         Detailed study of the fundus, paying special attention to the optic nerve head.

·         Visual field.

·         Study of the functionality of the optic nerve (visual evoked potentials).

·         In some patients, an X-ray study of the visual system may be necessary, including a CT scan, MRI, or visual brain wave recordings (showing how the brain processes visual information).

Treatment

Although it is not the most common, some people with optic neuritis get better without any treatment. However, many people need treatment to improve vision or at least prevent symptoms from getting worse.

The most commonly used treatment is corticosteroids. In most cases, corticosteroids are very helpful for improving vision. Sometimes they can even help to recover vision to the state it was in before optic neuritis. However, in people with multiple sclerosis or other conditions, treatment does not usually restore vision to the state it was before optic neuritis onset.

If you have symptoms of optic neuritis, it is very important to see your ophthalmologist.

Treatment can prevent symptoms from getting worse and may save your vision.

Prognosis

People with optic neuritis without a disease, such as multiple sclerosis, have a good chance of recovery.